Together Forever
by windborne
Summary: In life, Fate was determined to screw them up. Perhaps in death, this couple will have a better chance. InuKag Rated for death and blood.


Together Forever

Warning: Tearjerker. Character death. Straight out depression. If you flame me on this, I will come after you… I think.

"Kagome… stay with me…" Inuyasha shook her weakly, kneeling in a puddle of blood. Hundreds of corpses littered the field, filling the air with the noxious reek of death, blood, and burnt flesh. It had just started drizzling lightly, turning the air cold and humid. Almost as though the heavens themselves were crying for the unnecessary loss of life this day. Inuyasha fancied that God himself would shed tears for the dead shard seekers.

Kanna lay nearby, ebony eyes sightless, her body broken like a porcelain doll. Kagura was curled up next to her, an expression of peace on her face, her abdomen ripped open. Sesshoumaru was the only one left alive besides Inuyasha and Kagome, since technically Kikyou didn't count. But the undead miko and the taiyoukai were severely wounded, lying unconscious on the blood-soaked earth. Sango's body was draped over Kohaku's , having died while defending her beloved little brother. Naraku had asserted his control over Kohaku one last time when he saw his death was imminent, and forced him to tear Sango's spinal cord in two. After Naraku released him, Kohaku ran to Sango, embracing her tightly. The mingled tears of the tortured Taijiya siblings flowed down, seeping into the tainted earth. Kirara's body was poisoned by shouki, and she had collapsed near her mistress, contorted in agony. Miroku, upon seeing his fiancée slip further and further away from him, released the Kazaana and drew in many of Naraku's pet youkai before the concentrated poison of the Saimyoushou finished him off. His shakoju was planted upright beside Sango's abandoned Hiraikotsu and Kohaku's kusari-gama, a silent testament to his final act of courage. Shippou was overwhelmed by the hordes of demons, and was torn apart slowly by them.

Kagome slipped further and further into the abyss with each slow heartbeat before she was awakened by the desperate hanyou kneeling by her side. "Don't leave…" he begged, voice cracking with pent-up emotion. Blood gushed out from the dozens of wounds which covered her frail body, injuries which were poisoned by Naraku's last burst of shouki – injuries which had no hope of ever closing.

Inuyasha slashed his wrist with one claw and pressed it to Kagome's lips, futilely hoping that the demon vitality in it would heal her. But deep within his heart, he knew that she was unable to be saved by anyone. Her lovely scent of wildflowers and autumn rain was overshadowed by blood. The smell of death was gradually creeping into it. Both the hanyou and the miko knew she didn't have much time left. But he still had to try.

Simply because she was the only one who accepted him as he was.

"Inuyasha…" Kagome murmured softly. If he wasn't a dog half-demon, he wouldn't have been able to hear her at all. His ears pricked up, knowing that she wouldn't be able to talk for much longer. He had time to treasure the sound of her lovely voice, but he hadn't taken the opportunity. How much he regretted it now… Her previously melodious voice was ruined by the screams she'd produced as she witnessed the deaths of her friends, even those of Kanna and Kagura. "Hush. Don't talk. You'll survive. You have to," Inuyasha declared fiercely. Kagome favored him with a small smile, the best she could manage in such a situation. Her face was pale under the smudges of blood.

"We both know… I'm already dying…" Kagome began to cough hard. Red liquid splattered out and stained her small hands. The hands which were already heavily scorched by the power she'd released, too strong to be controlled by anyone. Inuyasha made her drink his blood again before putting her head in his lap.

Kagome gathered up a bit of strength and raised her hand agonizingly slowly to cup Inuyasha's cheek. The skin she felt under the pads of her fingers wasn't silky smooth like she'd assumed it would be. It was rough and covered with tiny scratches. Inuyasha covered her hand with his own, eyes pained.

"I still love you…" she whispered. Inuyasha's breath caught in his throat. How could she still love him after all he had done? After how he'd treated her, like something to be used and tossed aside, deemed as rubbish? After the countless times he'd gone to Kikyou, ignoring the smell of salty tears which would taint her scent after he returned? How could anyone have such a forgiving heart at the end of the day?

Kagome knew there was a void in her heart where her purification powers used to lie dormant. That niche was now empty. Not a single spark of energy remained. She knew what this meant. She would definitely die, there wasn't a speck of doubt about it. Kaede had warned her about darining her miko energy completely. She had said that it would result in a state called 'power drain shock'. The only question she had left was whether she was give up her life to blood loss or shock.

"I won't let you die. I promise," Inuyasha's heart constricted as the pain etched itself into Kagome's face, making her look older. Her eyes were shadowed with agony, making her appear more mature. Her chocolate-brown orbs had seen things that no ordinary schoolgirl should have to see. But if she had remained pure and innocent to the stench of death, she would never have met Inuyasha. Would she be the way she was now if she hadn't? No one had the answer to that. If she had never fallen through the well, how many people would have their fates changed? Shiori, Jinenji, Koharu, Kuroro, the Shichinintai… would their lives have been drastically changed? Kagome pondered on it for a few seconds, before deciding that she would rather be dying here now, having made a difference, rather than living in the modern era, blissfully unaware of everything.

"Don't promise when you know you can't keep it," Kagome's eyes closed. With those haunted orbs shielded from view, Inuyasha could almost pretend she was the same bubbly girl who had fallen through the well, freed him from Kikyou's sealing arrow and stolen his heart. A solitary tear fell from his eye and landed on Kagome's nose. As another rolled down his cheek, Kagome wiped it away with her hand, smiling weakly. Her life was fading fast. Time was running out. But there were so many things to say, so many secrets still looming between them… which should she say first? Would it be better to try and rush everything out… or not speak at all?

"Inuyasha… I love you… I really, really do," she gasped out, trying to suck in lungfuls of much-needed oxygen. Her heart rate slowed again. Death would be coming soon. Inuyasha leaned down and pressed his forehead against hers, lost for words. There was not enough eloquence in the entire world to express his love for her. Not even the suave Miroku could have come up with language beautiful enough to do so. But Kagome mistook his silence as indifference. Tears rolled down her cheeks.

"Just for this short time, Inuyasha… let me pretend that you love me," she whimpered. Her pride would not let her do this previously, although she had wanted to so much. Even if his heart was not hers, she still held on to her love for him with all her strength, because it was all she had left at the end of this miserable day.

"N-no! You're misunderstanding! I… really do love you too, Kagome," Inuyasha squeezed his eyes shut, trying to stop the tears from flowing. Why was fate so determined to screw them up anyway? They had just confessed to each other, and they were both about to die. What happened to that beautiful fairytale ending where the prince would take the princess' hand and they would live happily together forever? What happened to pure, innocent love where all a couple would need was their love interest? What happened… to treasured childhood daydreams? Every child dreams of having a perfect partner… but it was just Inuyasha's luck that fate obviously didn't like him very much. Just as he'd found the courage to say those words to the love of his life, she was going to die. Great. Just perfect. Inuyasha swore to himself that if he ever met God, he would beat him up for screwing up his life.

Kagome's cocoa orbs closed, her expression identical to Kagura's – all-consuming peace. Her breathing slowed noticeably as Inuyasha sat upright in shock. "Kagome?" he shook her gently, calling her name. "Kagome? Kagome?" he repeated the cry several times over, each time growing more and more panicked.

Kagome found herself surrounded in a bright light Attached to her back were a shadowy impression of forming wings, huge and feathery. She was alone… she was already dead. She stared at her hands, formerly injured beyond healing. White and perfect now, she could only stare at them in shock. Instead of rejoicing in the lack of pain…

she sat down and cried, because her protector was not there.

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Inuyasha swayed a little, a wave of dizziness crashing over him. Blood still flowed from the gash in his wrist. It dripped down slowly onto Kagome's clothing. Her dead body was still in his lap, and his arms were tightly wound around her. Fate was so cruel… as soon as they were together, they were torn apart again. But this time… he would go against Fate.

Kikyou would survive. Or she could always descend to Hell without him. Somehow, the strength to care in him had disappeared when Kagome died. Sadness and peace washed through him alternately. Kikyou wasn't Kikyou anymore. Kikyou was gone. Dead. He owed nothing to the clay imitation of her. Even though she was cold, dead, and suffering because their love was not strong enough… It was both their faults that the feelings between them were not strong enough to withstand Naraku's testing. It was in their destiny. As Kikyou herself had once said, 'the red string of fate, once broken, cannot be rejoined', it was also something that Inuyasha believed in wholeheartedly.

He was meant to survive. But he chose not to.

Changing position, he lay down, Kagome still in his arms. Patiently, he waited for his life to end…

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Kagome sat up abruptly. She could feel his presence moving hesitantly towards her…

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The first thing Inuyasha saw when he opened his eyes again was the joyful face of his love. As they embraced tightly as though the world had vanished around them, their friends came to them, smiling, to bless their love. Sango and Miroku walked hand in hand, Kohaku standing timidly behind his older, more dominant sibling. Shippou was in his customary position on Miroku's shoulder. Kanna and Kagura stood together, a little distance away. Kirara was at Sango's feet, mewing happily. As the loving couple broke the embrace, Inuyasha took the opportunity to smile at each and every person standing nearby.

In life, Fate had been determined to screw them up.

Perhaps in death, they would have a better chance.

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THE END.

Thanks for reading. Please review. If you flame me, I will use it to toast marshmallows.

…come to think of it, I AM hungry. Darn.


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